Sen BARACK Obama has broken barriers and shattered myths about American politics.Professor Ali Mazrui an American Professor of African descent has asked the question that among black, woman and muslim who will first rule America?.The just concluded primary elections was close to answering this question especially in the democratic party that pitch Sen,Hilary Clinton-a woman and Sen.Barack Obama-a black.Both of these has contenders has shown their ability to rule the most powerful Nation on earth so far.Unarguably Barack Obama is a game changer and a phenomenom in American politics.He has demonstrated the American dream and has inspired millions all over the world who thought they will not have the opportunity to advance their societies due to racial.class,religious and minority status.Obama with his connection to Blacks through ancestry,to whites through genetics,to Arab and Islam through life odyssey,to Christianity through faith and to semites through elitism is a perfect match for America.He will use these varied attributes to heal the contradictions in America body politics.American democrats have spoken and the rest of the world is watching come November to see whether America is truelly a pluralistic,democratic and a Nation of equal opportunities.

@Yankee kidI hope this will answer your question.In this interdependent global economic reality, politicians and governments in democratic countries are becoming, macro-economically speaking, less relevant and hapless in molding their national economies.Domestically, the US President can't do very much either, for viscous multinationals and international investment entities, pretty much control and direct international capital movements according to or in reaction of micro-economic and fiscal policies proposed by the government of the day.Where the US President can be instrumental, is in international relations and affairs. The fact that a president Obama is a well educated, intelligent and yes an AA, will by itself be a positive boost to the US's perception abroad, and propel America back into the world's moral stage, thus setting up fertile ground for diplomatic resolutions to many of the globe's problems and conflicts.This should be and is the the main reason why we need to support Obama, everything else is marginal, or in most cases out of our control.

Good article.Particularly insightful regarding about what could persuade the pro-Obama superdelegates to change their minds before August and go over to Mrs Clinton: "But it is vanishingly improbable, barring the revelation that Mr Obama is secretly a polygamous Mafia boss in the pay of Iran."Any of the three conditions by itself wouldn't be enough. Not even two of them.Who said the US was founded by Puritans?

Obama message over this Primaries contexts has been more detailed and articulated than some people want to believe, this is the reason Obama won the Democratic nomination. Any one suggesting tha Obama's message as being " short on specifics, vague and atmospheric", has not been paying much attention to what Obama has been saying all these months.

You are not "unusual" being an American living in Europe. Many of us, including myself, lived for a long time in Europe. Don't let this cloud your mind. Have you learned to speak the language where you live? If not, it helps to get to know what they really think, when you can understand their language. You can find a lot of unusual people in Europe too, and that doesn't mean anything to you. I was in Turkey when the kids would call out to me--"vote for George Bush". Make up your own mind.
Obama is a young man with a mission and he is seeking power. It is difficult to understand where he is coming from and what he will do with the enormous power he will have as President of the United States.
This deeply concerns me as he was not raised in his formative years in the United States. We really know very little about him and there are a lot of contradictions that we need to sort out. It seems that no one is doing that and this is a very dangerous thing. It is almost like people have been hypnotized like yourself in an "unusual" way.

The United States has long been for decades now a pluralistic, democratic, nation of equal opportunities as you want, and we all want. There is no problem with that. You yourself explain what the problen is when you point out all the things that Obama is which doesn't make him everyone. It is impossible to pick out who he actually is. This is exactly the opposite of what you want and I want. We want equal opportunities for all and he has that. Who cares that he is AA? Most Americans are polygott. So what more does Obama want?
He wants more than equality. He wants using all of these connections that you point out for political advantage both in defense and offense. These connections which you point out are not what would make him a good president.
Our problem is in judging who Obama is as he cannot be all of these people who you correctly point out he is. That creates a huge problen which we would not be having if Obama were simply a Black American period. We have many Black Americans in very high positions in politics and in all other areas already, so Obama is not breaking any new ground. But by claining that he is breaking new ground, he is drumming up huge ammounts of money and support from the very young who like to get involved in "changing the world". This is very much like the neo-cons who helped us get into Iraq that everyone now blames on George Bush.
All of this pent-up emotion is not good for anyone and it is most likely to end up with everyone losing, because neither candidate can possibly win in any way, that will ever suit everyone in the world.

Hilarry Clinton never give up! She did not concede defeat till finish line. If this is an olimpic cross country race, she had been given a standing ovation just because she finish the race. She have determination. As her suppporter, i never want her to giv eup till the finish line. As for Barack Obama, promisng is very very easy!

(I hit the wrong butten below so I continue here when I tried to correct my spelling)---- The Economist will endorse Obama because they have put themselves out on a limb too far for then to retreat. In fact I think Obama will lose this election based on some knowledge that I have, and that was the main reason that I was supporting Hillary. I know a great deal about politics in the United States. However I agree very much with The Economist that the United States is very much an international country with many would-be citizens all over the world with friends in the United States (including me, I may add.) and I have no objection to Obama because of his color, but he is not the Black persom whom I would pick. I will not tell you why because it will only lead to my being attacked. You just have to take my word for it. Lets wait and see what The Econmist does. They are a lot smarter than I am.

You are "unusual" for an American in that you speak so many languages. I only learned to speak two well enough to converse in without translating. However, I also keep my admiration for the USA unashmeely high as far as anything any one else spoke with me about it. Actually most people in Europe insisted on calling me English, not American.
It troubles me that you say "Obama is God sent". Will you explain that to me, please?

@Yankee Kid "Unusual" meant that I keep my admiration for the USA unashamedly high. I speak fluently French, Italian, German, Spanish, and English off course. I think I know what my European friends are saying.Obama is a God sent, mate, whether he wins the presidency or not, he already has positively influenced Americas' image abroad.Just think when he will be (hopefully)the President......Cheers,

How do you know that Obama will have a free market approach? I know that we could count on Hillary but I know nothing about Obama that would lead me to believe this. I am also have some international stocks. The information that I have on Obama is not good and that is all I have to go on. I too would like to have the democrats win but not for the reasons you give. But I do believe the Econmist

Obama now has been handed the nomination and poor Hillary has prostituted herself, to put it into a few simple words that we can all understand.
Yesterday, as I am reading the "good" news in my Economist, the price of oil shoots up like a rocket, the bottom falls out of the stock market, and un-employment increases drastically.
And all of this on just the nomination? What will happen when Obama is elected? Maybe a coincidence but maybe not.
Of all people, The Economist knows that the financial market will react to unknown change. A lot of people are nervous and so am I. The Economist can do us and themselves a good servive if they would look a lot closer to check Obama out as to who he is, and what he can do, before they come out for him based on wishfull thinking.

The most important reason why many would be watching election of the next President, and it aftermath, is to know whether the US Presidents are the same wine in different bottles (regardless of whether this time one of the probable bottles is colored),and to get assurances that the world's biggest democracy had not been hijacked irretrievably by sinister powers.

am a nigerian hat is heavily ingross in this primary what suprises me is that americans are surpose to be enlighten people but they seems to thrive on rumors like nigerians. In this country (Nigerian) go to the public transport with lies everybody accept wether it is the truth or not in america go on the net with anything and asizeable numbers of american will accept it what a coutry.
dipo sanusi

@A voice of reasonperhaps, you should watch fox news more often, instead of CNN. What about the millions of idiots listening every day to Rush Limbaugh? Should we fallow France's model and ban right and left wing charlatans infesting and polluting US radio and television for fear of brainwashing voters? The onus is on the citizen to get as much well informed before casting the ballot. From another American living in "socialist" France.

On economics, the reason the crude price is so high is because of the illegal invasion of Iraq by the republicans and some democrats including Hillary. The destruction of oil infrastructure and buildings caused by this perpetual war, is contributing the increase in demand of row materials, food and energy, causing a higher prices domino effect on crude and commodities prices. True the industrialization of China and India is also contributing to the higher crude demand, but if US factories weren't busy manufacturing weapons instead of other consumable, there wouldn't be the need to rely on China imports for these goods.Obama's fresh approach in talking these global and domestic problems, is well understood among international investors, (including myself). Indeed new emphasis on renewable and innovative energy, will over the medium term alleviate the USA's dependency on Gulf oil.Investors over the USA economic history, have done, on the average much better, under democratic administration than under republican ones. Just google it up!!!!My hunch is that The Economist will end up endorsing Obama coming this fall, for Obama's free market approach on the economy, and his libertarian social leaning, is more in line with the Economist philosophy.